Making a claim

Our claims process

We know that being involved in an accident is a horrible experience, so you can count on Privilege to get you and your car back on the road quickly and with no fuss.

When you claim on your car insurance, you’ll deal with our approved repair network which offers nationwide coverage and a five year guarantee on all repairs. We’ll collect and return your car to you and even give it a clean too.

Making sure you don't pay the price of fraud

We take insurance fraud very seriously. It's illegal and it increases the cost of everyone else's policies.

To protect our customers, we use specialised detection processes to identify false or exaggerated claims, which we then invalidate.

So you can join us safe in the knowledge that we're doing everything we can to help protect you from paying the price of fraud.

Reporting a claim

You can count on us to get your claim moving straight away. Our advisors will take all the relevant details and talk you through what will happen next. Even if you have an accident when most garages are closed, our 24 hour accident recovery helpline can arrange assistance to recover your car and help arrange onward transportation.

Not sure whether you should call us?

By calling us you can be sure that we are aware of the incident and are in a position to represent your best interests, as well as being able to advise you about what cover you have.

The earlier we know, the earlier we can help

And it’s best to call when the details are fresh in your mind. Whoever was at fault, we can give you the support you need right away.

By notifying us as soon as possible:

We’ll start processing your claim without delay. The sooner we get going, the sooner you’ll be back behind the wheel.

We can get on with working out who was at fault.

You’ll be able to talk to our team of experts about everything from recovery to repairs to car hire.

Reporting an accident quickly also helps us:

Investigate potentially fictitious or suspicious claims

Complete our enquiries sooner and could avoid affecting a No Claim Discount (providing us with accurate driver, passenger and witness contact details will help)

Avoid unnecessary legal fees which could help control the cost of premiums

What will I be asked for?

Your personal details

What happened and what the damage is to your car

Whether the car is driveable

Where you are

Details of any witnesses or third parties who were involved in the incident

Details of any passengers in your or the third party’s car

Whether the police were involved and any crime reference number, if relevant

What happens next?

No matter how complex your claim, we'll help you as quickly and efficiently as we can.

Reviewing your cover

When you report an incident, we’ll look at your policy and answer any questions about what is covered and if you have to pay an excess.

Repairing your car

Our network of approved repairers gets 480,000 customers back on the road each year and consistently achieves high customer satisfaction ratings.

If you use our approved repair network, you won’t need to get an estimate for the repairs and we’ll allocate you a repairer straight away.

At the repairer, the damage to your car will be fully assessed, they will then contact us with an estimate of the cost of the repairs and once authorised, repair work will begin.

Each repair is carried out in accordance with recognised industry standards and all parts are guaranteed for 3 years and repairs are guaranteed for 5 years.

What happens if your car is written off

In the event of an accident or loss, your vehicle may be considered uneconomical to repair and will therefore be deemed a Total Loss. In these cases it is necessary for us to place a settlement value on your vehicle.

If your car is less than one year old and you are the first and only registered owner, so we can get you back on the road as quickly as possible, we will attempt to offer you a permanent replacement vehicle of the same make and model. In cases where this is not possible, your claim will be settled based on the market value of your vehicle at the date of loss.

What happens if your car is stolen?

If your car is stolen, then you will need to obtain a crime reference number from the police. When you report your claim to us we’ll take some basic details and arrange a time to discuss the theft in more detail. The outcome of your claim will depend on whether your car is recovered or not.

Keeping you moving

You may be entitled to a courtesy or hire car while yours is being repaired. We’ll explain the options when you call to report your claim.

Our Guaranteed Hire Car or Guaranteed Hire Car Plus options guarantee you a hire car, so if you selected one of these cover options, your claims advisor will be able to contact the hire car company for you.

Whose fault was the accident?

In some cases the fault is clear, but it often isn’t. There are occasionally a number of different opinions on what happened. We’ll listen to your description of the accident and then look objectively at all other information available. We have specialist teams to deal with complex claims and we’ll liaise with third parties and other insurers on your behalf.

Impact on No Claim Discount (NCD)

Whether your NCD is affected will depend on the nature of your claim and whether or not your NCD is protected. Your claims handler will try to give you an estimate of the impact when you report your claim.

Injury claims

Claims involving injury can be quite complex so one of our specialist teams may get involved to support you through the process. We handle thousands of injury claims each year and strive to deal with them all fairly and promptly.

Recovery of expenses

If you took out Motor Legal Protection with your car insurance, you’ll be covered for up to £100,000 in legal costs to help you claim from the person responsible for the accident as long as it is more likely than not that your claim will succeed.

Who determines the value of your vehicle?

Our specialist team of engineers ensure we place an accurate value on your vehicle. They follow a consistent process to ensure that every vehicle is valued using the same methodology, while also considering the local market conditions. We do our best to make sure a fair market value is delivered first time, every time.

How do we decide on the market value for your vehicle?

We use a starting point from the UK’s leading valuation publication, Glass’s guide. The retail figure from Glass’s is used, which would be the amount you would expect to pay if you bought a vehicle from a used car dealership.

What other factors have a bearing on the value of your vehicle?

Overall mileage and condition - If the vehicle has low mileage this will increase the value; if it has high mileage this will decrease the value.

Full service history - The quality of the service history will have a bearing on the valuation.

Optional extras and modifications above the vehicles stated specification- This is taken into account in accordance with Glass’s guide recommendations.

The pre-accident condition of the vehicle - As our starting point is Glass’s Guide retail figure, we consider areas of damage that would need to be rectified in order to achieve that retail value. We calculate these deductions using standard repair methods, using our discounted Group rates.

The local marketplace - Finally, we look at the local market to ensure the value we have placed on your vehicle would allow you to purchase a similar vehicle in the local area.

When will you receive your settlement cheque?

When you’ve agreed a valuation with the engineer, they’ll notify us and we’ll arrange for a payment to be made. Payments are usually made by cheque and once requested, take around five working days to be processed.

Any agreed settlement will be subject to your agreed policy excess, and/or premium adjustment where applicable.

Finalising your claim

Once repairs are complete

When work on your car is done, the garage will call you to arrange for it to be returned. If an excess applies, you'll need to pay that to the repairer.

If you used one of our approved repairers, your car will have been cleaned inside and out, parts will be guaranteed for 3 years and repairs will be guaranteed for five years.

What to do if you’re unsatisfied

We have a team of engineers who regularly visit repairers to make sure they meet our high standards. However, if you're unhappy with your repairs, discuss it with the repairer. If the problem can't be resolved with them directly, call our claims team on 0345 246 8539.

Returning a hire or courtesy car

If you were entitled to a hire or courtesy car, the provider of the vehicle will have agreed with you what to do when your own vehicle is returned to you. If you're unsure of what to do, speak to the hire car provider directly.

Anything else?

You and your car should now be ready to get back on the road, but if there is anything else you need, just call us on 0345 246 8539.

Motor Legal Protection claims

Reporting your Motor Legal Protection claim

You’ll need to tell us of your Motor Legal Protection claim when you report your accident to our motor claims department. Your details will then be passed to our specialist Motor Legal claims department who will get your claim moving as quickly as possible.

What happens next?

The Motor Legal claims department will review the details of your accident and check you have a valid claim under Motor Legal Protection cover. If you have a valid claim, we will confirm that your policy will cover legal costs charged by a solicitor, as long as you follow the solicitor’s advice and there is more than a 50% chance your claim will succeed. A solicitor will then be instructed to act on your behalf to pursue recovery of your losses from the driver responsible. We will cover all the legal costs of this claim in accordance with the policy terms and conditions.

Finalising your claim

Most cases are resolved through negotiation, but a minority go to Court. How quickly the claim is settled will depend on the circumstances of the accident, whether the other driver accepts responsibility for the accident and the extent of the injuries or losses being claimed for.